Next week the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will hold a hearing on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century. The two and a half day event will examine the role data plays in competition and innovation, and will also consider the antitrust analysis of mergers and firm conduct where data is a key asset or product.

This event is the sixth session in the FTC’s Hearings initiative with the over-arching goal of investigating whether broad-based changes in the economy, evolving business practices, new technologies, or international developments might require adjustments to competition and consumer protection law, enforcement priorities, and policy.

During this 6th hearing, the Commission will be exploring topics such as:

What is “big data”? Is there an important technical or policy distinction to be drawn between data and big data?

How have developments involving data – including data resources, analytic tools, technology, and business models – changed the understanding and use of personal or commercial information or sensitive data?

Does the importance of data – or large, complex data sets comprising personal or commercial information – in a firm’s ordinary course operations change how the FTC should analyze mergers or firm conduct? If so, how? Does data differ in importance from other assets in assessing firm or industry conduct?

Are there policy recommendations that would facilitate competition in markets involving data or personal or commercial information that the FTC should consider?

This event is the sixth session in the FTC’s Hearings initiative with the over-arching goal of investigating whether broad-based changes in the economy, evolving business practices, new technologies, or international developments might require adjustments to competition and consumer protection law, enforcement priorities, and policy.